Let me be the sword at your side
by Melaxx
Summary: Robin never thought of her feelings or desires during the war with Plegia. But what will she do if she comes to realize that she actually cares for a certain prince, who suddenly started to avoid her permanently? F!RobinxChrom [Please read A/N!]
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys!  
I'm new here, and this is also my very first fanfic.

**WARNING:**  
But before you start reading, I want to warn you. I'm from Germany, so my English grammar/+ vocab isn't as good as yours. Still, I really want to improve my English writing, so I thought that starting this "project" would be a good opportunity for me to learn (of course I wrote some German fics, but the German FE: Awakening fandom isn't as big as here!)  
I hope you won't be hard on my language, since I'm trying my best to get better and better, and hope to get some advice and critique! :D And I also hope the FE;A characters are not too OOC...  
Sorry for the long note. :/

Pairing: Chrom x F!Robin  
Rated: T ( I think...)  
Setting: Shortly before the final battle against Gangrel. Chrom and Robin have Support lvl. A

I do not own anything from Fire Emblem; Awakening.

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**Chapter 1.**

**Ferox Castle **

It's in the middle of the night. It isn't snowing outside, but the air is icy cold. Robin feels goosebumps running up her spine from the sudden cold, and almost started to regret leaving her warm bed. But she couldn't sleep.  
Soon, the war between Ylisse and Plegia would be decided, the day of the final battle came closer. And this time, she knows that she won't fail. Not a second time.

Has she been too confident with her tactics? They were successful the day she started to come up with them in the first battle she fought with Chrom by her side. Everyone put trust in her and her tactics and followed every single order she made. The Shepherds told her that she did her best, that her tactic was perfect, but fate just wasn't on their side. Robin thought about that fateful day over and over again, Maybe the Pegasus knights should have ambushed the plegian castle instead of catching up with the Shepherds? Maybe Phila would have been fast enough to save Emmeryn the way Sumia saved Chrom once?

No, it wouldn't have worked out. The archers were too fast. They would have shot them down before they could flee. Robin's mind can't handle her failure. She failed everyone. She failed Emmeryn, the Shepherds, Lissa and...Chrom.  
Their empty eyes after watching their elder sister falling into her death, and Chroms desperate attempt to take her corpse with them as they had to escape. Lissas sorrowful cries. His face full of anger and sorrow, and the way he simply slayed down every plegian soldier to dared to get in his way. Robins head aches from these pictures, her heart feeling heavy in her breast and her throat somehow burning painfully. Her eyes start to get teary, _'because of the icy air.' _  
she tells herself.

Since that day, the tactician tried to cheer everybody up the best way she could. She hugged Lissa and let her cry in her arms, talked to Sumia and Cordelia who lost Phila and the other Pegasus knights. She talked to Frederick who felt guilty the worst way he ever experienced. But when the brown-haired tactician tried to talk to Chrom, he would avoid her looks, walk away when she walked up to him quickly and started to play busy whenever she actually got to talk to him. Robin didn't want to talk about the loss of his sister all the time. She just wanted to spend time with him, like they always did when they had the time. They are 'partners in crime' after all. Robin starts to smile at the thought.

'_We don't __hide any__ secrets __from each other__, don't __we?__'_

She decides that she is getting too cold and heads back into the castle. The tactician walks mindlessly through the corridors when she heard small steps behind her. She immediately knew who it was. "Tharja, stop it and go to sleep.." she almost mumbles annoyed, maybe too quiet for others to hear, but Tharja heard every single word.

"You seem to be in sorrow. I can see that." Robin turns around and eyes the darkmage's shade in a corner.

"You don't need to tell me that. Now seriously, go to sleep. We will be marching off tomorrow evening." Robin then starts to walk to her room again, but still hears Tharja's voice.

"Well then. But you should know that you should hurry. Our little prince is easy to impress." The tactician stops and looks back once more.

"What? What to you intend so say with that?" she answers in disbelief.

She hears a dark giggle before the pretty darkmage goes on: "I intend to say that our prince is confused and hurt enough to be wrapped around everyones finger. And with everyone I mean certain ladies trying to elope with him, or else." Tharja steps out of the dark, walking towards Robin. "What was her name again?...Su...mia I think? The way she runs after him all the time...baking pie for him, which taste surprisingly good to my mind..."The tactician knows that Sumia loves Chrom with all her being. Everybody in the camp knows that. Sumia is sweet, caring, beautiful and a good fighter and friend, though her clumsiness is getting in her way sometimes.

"I know what Sumia feels for Chrom." Robin said, somehow confident. "So it's no wonder that she does everything she can to make him feel better. And Chrom appreciates her caring nature. Robin's voice sounds unintentionally angry with her last sentence. Tharja is silent, and with small, but careful steps as if she's an animal watching her victim, she walks around the stiff standing tactician.

"And Sumia's not the only one. And if you seem to be so enraged already, then what will you do when I tell you about Olivia?"

Pang. Right in her face. Olivia is a very talented and beautiful dancer. Robin got along with her immediately, even though she wasshy and talked quietly all the time. Still, her dancing was and is beautiful, making the rose-haired woman more attractive than she already was. And not only Robinthought of her like that. Everyone thinks of her overly positively, and Chrom mentioned it once in front of Robin.

_"Olivia is a great help here in camp. Some things are running very smoothly since she is with us."_

Actually, that was the last long sentence Chrom said to her. Since then,he talks only about no more than what is absolutely necessary. The tactician could observe more than often that Chrom had deep conversations with Olivia, standing closer to her than he ever stood to Robin and always smiling. That was the first time the brown-haired saw her captain smile again after his elder sisters' death. Tharja pulled her out of her thoughts. "You're shaking..." she giggled again, darkly. "You seem to care more than you actually think you do."

Robin took a few steps away, turning to Tharja. "I do NOT care with whom Chrom interacts or who is hiding unspoken feelings for him. There are more important things to think about right now. For example-"

"The war. I know, I know." the darkmage interupts her. "But you should know that he also thinks about different things. Now that the Exalt decided to kill herself, the ylissean people would want a lovely queen next to their shining, charming king." She crossed her arms and smiled with amusement. "I can see what you feel, Robin. Even though you're hiding your feelings pretty well, I must admit." She then walks past Robin. "Oh, and that redhead pegasus knight is also into the prince, but Mr. Nobleman doesn't see her, sadly enough."

Robin makes her fragile hands into fists. "Why are you telling me this!?" she says almost too loud. Tharja turns around, looking into her angry eyes again.

"Find out for yourself. Actually, I've made it obvious why I told you this. Seems like you are not that smart in social interaction after all?" She grinned and left Robin alone.

The brown-haired tactician storms to her room. She is able to hold her anger back to not slam the door shut. Robin feels warm, because she is angry. But why IS she angry? All those thoughts of Chrom, how everybody cares for him, how he smiled for Olivia, and how he avoids her, his head-tactician. Did she do something wrong? Or is it because of their failed battle? Was it a lie when he told her that it wasn't her fault that Emmeryn died? Is he deterred from that part when Robin told him that they could be..something bigger and greater? That she would never ever leave his side, no matter the circumstances? She doesn't know, and her head aches more than has before.

She changes into her nightclothes again and crawled under her blanket, which became cold again during her absence. Tomorrow, they will march of to end this war. And Robin tells herself: _'If I can, I will ask him why he avoids me. Maybe there will be some time.' _Then she shakes her head. They march into the final battle, there is no place for stupid why-are-you-ignoring-me questions. She decides to wait. The tactician thought of Olivia and Chrom again. Something is biting her heart again, and she feels a wave of pain running through her body.

_'Am I...jealous?' _

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Thanks for reading this first, small chapter!  
I hope you enjoyed it at least a bit, and that my grammar etc. isn't that horrible...  
Anyways, tell me what you think about it!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

Hello again ~  
Thanks to everyone who took the time to read the first chapter, wrote reviews and gave me advice and critique! And of course a big thank you to everyone following this story or counting it to one of their favourites! I'm so happy, really ;0;

I hope you enjoy the second chapter, too. It's a bit longer than the first one!

I do not own Fire Emblem Awakening.  
\+ the cover of this story belongs to its rightful owner!

* * *

**Chapter 2.**

**Later in the morning**

Robin is half asleep when she hears someone knocking at her door , she doesn't respond, too tired to answer. But when the knocking gets even louder, Robin finally crawls out of her bed slowly. "Who's there crashing the door?"

"Yo awake? The Vaike and the others are waitin' for ya, y' know. We wanted to march off soon, remember?" the blonde fighter said.

"Oh gods, is it that late already!? Gods, I'm so sorry!" The tactician changed clothes immediately, almost tripping while putting on her boots and nearby hopping to the door. She opens it quickly, looking at Vaike. "Why didn't anyone wake me earlier?! For god's sake.."

"Teach really REALLY wanted to wake ya earlier, but I was told not to. Tharja said somethin' 'bout you being tired and things like that. And ya didn't sleep THAT much longer."

Robin sighs somewhat annoyed and angered, starting to walk through the corridors and out of the castle in quick steps, Vaike following her. and continues: "And Chrom said that the preparations were almost done anyway, so he agreed to let ya' sleep. He said ya' needed the rest for the battle waitin' for us."

Robin's pace of her walk goes down slowly. She turns to Vaike. "The preparations are almost done? Did he think of enough conocotions and some elixir? And did he go to that traveling merchant to get some discounts?"

"Yup. We helped him carry all this stuff. Gotta go and watch it for yourself."

The duo walks out of the castle, passing the courtyard and entering the backyard where they would meet up before they leave Ferox. And Vaike is right; they really are almost done.  
The pegasi look fed, healthy, equipped and soon ready to ride ahead, as well as the horses and griffons. The tactician observes Lon'qu, Gregor, Gaius and – for whatever reason – Nowi carrying the weapons, the manakete only holding one sword in her hand and wielding it around playfully. "I'm glad that Chrom considered everything I told him...he seemed to be absent while telling him what we had to get before we leave." the tactician then says with a smile, looking at Vaike. "He usually forgets one thing or another.."

"Nah, ol' Chrom never forgets what ya tell him. Yo his tactician, after all." He slaps his hand on her shoulder and shakes her a little. Robin looks at the scenery in front of her, watching everybody. The brown-haired tactician thinks that even though they still suffer from their former battle, they are so cheerful, courageous and do their best no matter the circumstances. She starts to feel confident, and wants to win this war. '_No matter what this battle will hold, I will do __anything__ to give them __a peaceful future full of happiness__.' _

"Good morning, Robin."

A female voice pulls Robin out of her thoughts. She looks at the red-haired pegasus knight. "Oh, good morning Cordelia. I'm sorry for oversleeping and for not helping you all." She frowns, and the pegasus knight laughs a bit as a response.

"It is alright. There is always someone who oversleeps our preparations, right? Nevertheless," Cordelia continues, "Vaike, Lissa called you. She needed you to carry our stock of medicine on board since she cannot carry it by herself."

Vaike then nods and grins. "The Vaike will never refuse a plea from a lady!" Then he walks off as proud and confident as always when a woman needs his help. When Robin watches Vaike, she realizes she isn't the only one looking after him. Close to the weapons stock is Tharja, watching the fighter with dark, scary eyes. "Is Tharja stalking Vaike now?" Robin asks herself unintentionally loud. Cordelia looks at her and follows her gaze.

"I don't know. Though I saw both of them talking to each other regulary the last few days. You remember how both of them were missing dinner once? Some soldiers pretended that they saw them together, alone." Cordelia smiles and sighs. "Some say that they actually grew fond of each other during their battles. I guess Tharja and Vaike aren't the ones to admit it immediately to the whole world and rather keep it to themselves."

Robin looks at Cordelia, who seems to bask into romantic thoughts. And actually, Robin can't contain a smile, too. She never thought that pairing Tharja and Vaike in battle would cause such unforeseen consequences. Tharja always considers herself as evil, threatening people with hexes or murder. And now she may have feelings for Vaike? Robin bears that in mind for the next time Tharja tries to confuse her somehow. Thinking about the prince, she realizes that she wants to talk to him. But Cordelia is the first one to raise her voice again, though she seems to laugh when she looks at the tactician. "Maybe you should comb your hair, Robin. One can see that you just got out of bed."

Robin reflexively runs her hand through her hair, her brown locks messy and full of knots. "O-oh..that's embarrassing. I was in a hurry so I forgot to make a ponytail...or even to bathe." she laughs nervously and blushes in embarrassment. The pegasus knight then lays her hand on Robins shoulder and pushes her gently towards the castle again.

"How about you take a bathe, and I help you to comb and unknot your hair when you're done?" Robin starts to walk slowly next to the red-haired knight.

"Aren't you busy with helping here? I mean, I would appreciate your help since my hair is untamable sometimes, but if you have work to do here, I don't want to interrupt you." the tactician answers while running through a painful knot with her fingers.

"No, we're almost done, after all. And I need to go into the castle's food stock anyway to help Donnel and Stahl with the last preparations. So take all the time you need to bathe, and I will wait for you in your room after I'm done." she says with a smile. Cordelia is Robin's most reliable friend and maybe the most reliable knight of the Shepherds. The tactician appreciates her helpful nature very much and finally agrees to her offer.

* * *

After she's done with her bath, Robin enters her room, Cordelia awaiting her already. The pegasus knight placed a chair in the middle of the room. "Hello. Please, sit down here." And Robin does.

"A bath was what I needed. I feel much better now." the tactician says with a smile on her face while Cordelia stands behind her. Robin stretches a bit, her bones snapping loud once.

Cordelia starts to dry Robins wet hair with a towel the best she could. "Sometimes a bath is the best cure for anything." she says. "if you feel tensed up, when you're in sorrow for whatever reason...a bath works magic on you for sure." Robin starts to giggle.

"Yeah, you're right.." But Robin's thoughts wander to Chrom again. She needs to talk to him, and ask him why he's avoiding her. The tactician suddenly feels insecure, and her stomach feels sick. She needs to think of what she wanted to tell him, and how. But...

"Robin, are you alright? You're twirling your thumbs." Cordelia notices. Robin gulps. The pegasus knight is a very close friend, but she loves Chrom with all her being. So telling her that Chrom is ignoring her, and that she doesn't like it, would hurt Cordelia wouldn't it?

_'Wait a second. This isn't something...THAT bad, isn't it? Chrom ignoring me isn't related to anything romantic between the two of us, so I think I can tell her. Gods, what am I thinking!?_' realizes the tactician in her mind, kicking herself mentally.

"Well," Robin begins, "Chrom started to...avoid me for some time now. Actually a few days after Emmeryn died." she breaths slowly in and out. "And it bothers me. I feel like I'm invisible to him when I try to talk to him. I just don't figure why he shuns me. I'm afraid that I did or said something wrong, but..."

Cordelia starts to brush her hair gently, not trying to hurt the tactician. She is silent for a moment until she responds. "I actually don't know why Lord Chrom avoids you. And I don't think he's mad either because he praised you this very morning before we started the preparations." Robin blinks in surprise, and relief floods her heart. "Did he?" the tactician asks while Cordelia starts making her ponytail and braiding some strands of hair on each side of hear head.

"Yes. I'd believe Chrom just wants to disburden you from all the labor here. He said that everything runs fluently because of you, and how he thanks the gods for having you with the Shepherds." Robin feels her face getting hot and lays her hands on her cheeks.

"Wow, u-uhm...that's a huge compliment." she laughs. "but I would be nothing without the Shepherds. After all it is you who helped me after I lost my memories." Finally, Cordelia finishes her ponytail.

"Thank you Robin. We appreciate your company as well as you ours. And I'm done with your hair. It's still a bit wet, so put on the hood of your cloak until they're dry. Unless you want to get a cold out there."

"Alright. Thanks a lot." Robin gets up and turns to Cordelia, smiling. "And thank you about telling me what Chrom said. I mean, I really thought he's mad at me or even worse..." The tactician grabs her ponytail with her hand and runs through it with her fingers. "I think I'll go talk to him now before we go, or I'll regret it later."

The pegasus knight nods, and together they make their way out of the warm castle out into the cold. Robin puts on her warm hood and looks out for Chrom. Entering the backyard again, Cordelia turns to Robin. "Would you mind if I leave you on your own now, Robin? I wanted to talk to some of the knights about our formation in future battles..."

"With 'some knights' you mean Lon'qu?" Robin blinks. Cordelia and Lon'qu were fighting side by side since Cordelia joined the Shepherds. Robin thought that they do great on the battlefield. "Yeah, of course. I made enough demands on your time already." the tactician responds. Cordelia's cheeks turn bright red, as if the tactician found something out she shouldn't.

"Uhm, y-yes. I'll go then, and see you later." And with those words and fast steps, Cordelia leaves Robin on her own.

Robin is surprised by her reaction, especially in connection with Lon'qu. She doesn't want to misinterpret her blushing, but it seemed like the pegasus knight and the myrmidon started to spend more time outside of battle. And to Robin's mind, that would mean that Cordelia's interest in Chrom has...disappeared? Her heart starts to beat faster, though Robin feels lighter, as if a burden just fell from her heart. The tactician thinks about last night when Tharja talked to her, telling her about all those girls falling for Chrom and Chrom maybe marrying one of them someday. Maybe Tharja was right that Cordelia loved Chrom, but this could be over now. The darkmage may have stalked everybody in camp, finding out one thing or another, but even she might oversee details. So maybe Chrom isn't as close to Sumia and Olivia as she thought. Maybe even Robin herself misinterpreted the prince's and the pretty dancer's conversation. Maybe there is hope.

_'Hope. Hope for what?' _says her mind. She feels jealous when she thinks of the way Chrom looks at Olivia. And she feels relieved to know that Cordelia overcame her feelings for the bluenette. Though,Robin knows that she probably misinterpreted the pegasus knight's behavior. And thinking that she might be wrong makes her feel strange again...

'G_ods, what in the world is wrong with me?!'_

Robin walks around the backyard, but the prince is nowhere. The tactician thinks that he maybe went back into the castle to meet up with Flavia and Basilio once more before they depart. And so Robin walks back all the way back into the castle againand through the main-corridor. And she's right ; there he is, talking with both Khans, accompanied by no other than Frederick and Olivia.

...Olivia?

Robin feels extremely insecure to talk to Chrom now. That Frederick is with him is normal, but Olivia? She decides to wait politely for their conversation to end instead of barging in. And after what felt like an eternity, the Khans retire until they get going. The trio runs right into Robin's arms.  
"Hey there. How's it going?" the brown-haired tactician says while putting her hood down.

Though she addressed each of them with the question, Robin looks at Chrom and smiles gently. And this time, Chrom even looks at her with his blue eyes, making Robin feel strangely excited and nervous. But then he looks away, looking at everyone and everything except at her. "M-Morning. We will be marching off now, so we should meet up at the backyard." Robin's smile fades slowly. "U-uhm...yes, of course. Thank you for getting everything I needed for the journey." He lowers his head, watching the ground as if there's something else. Then Olivia speaks up.

"W-We hope that you could rest well, Robin. You really looked exhausted the last few days."

_'Because of that noble__-guy__ over there...' _Robin thinks, but her voice sounds calm and friendly. "Yes, I feel much better now. Thank you for your concern." She smiles at the trio, and they smiled back, except for Chrom. The tactician feels a sting in her heart. A very bad one, and she feels herself frowning automatically. But she knows, now's the time to talk to him. Alone. So she clears her throat before she speaks. "Chrom, can I talk to you in private, please?" Silence followed. And even Frederick and Olivia now waited for a response from the handsome, ylissean prince.

Chrom raises his head, and Robin could see that he's biting his lip painfully. But before she could ask what's wrong, he heads to her direction. Instead of stopping in front of her, he walks past her, stopping shortly and their shoulders touching lightly. "We should meet the others now. It's about time." the prince says, almost in a whisper. Then he continues his motion.

Robin's lips are parted, but no words come out of it. Her eyes are burning, and Olivia and Frederick look confused. "Milord, wait for me!" Frederick shouts, trying to catch up with the prince who's already far gone. Silence follows now for the second time, until Robin heard small steps coming in her direction, and the dancer placed gently a hand on her shoulder.

"Robin...are...you alright?"

But Robin doesn't answer. The fact that Chrom didn't want to talk to her because they're in a hurry is fully acceptable. Still, it hurts Robin somehow. It hurts worse than the sting she felt moments ago. "Do you hear me Robin?" she hears the dancer ask again in concern.

"Y-Yes...I'm alright. I'm going now." she replies almost in a whisper. Then she turns around, walking out of the castle for the 100th time today. Her eyes are burning horribly, and she feels heavy. Robin walks to the others, not realizing how Tharja glares at her from far away.

* * *

Soooooo...uhhh...  
Vaike was..hard to write...I don't know why. Probably because I only know how he speaks in german (of course I looked up how write talks in english before I decided to write him..).  
And yes, I was hinting some pairings in this chapter (Vaike/Tharja and Cordelia/Lon'qu). I don't know if I'll go into detail, but if I can and if it fits in, I will hint more pairings here and there, mostly the ones I paired up in my first run. :D

And well...there are many small paragraphs..and much conversation. I hope not too much for your taste?  
I hope you still like the story and how it's developing, if it's actually developing in your opinion...D:  
AND I hope (for the 3rd time now) that my english was okay so far, and that no character is OOC somehow.

If you like, leave a comment or some advice or critique!

Hope (4th time...) to see you next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:  
**Hello to everybody reading this right now!  
So, here we go with this 3rd little chapter. It contains a little blood and some action(the first action scene I ever wrote). :D And of course some sadness and love and several small conversations.

Hope you enjoy!

I do not own Fire Emblem; Awakening.  
\+ the cover of this story belongs to its rightful owner.

* * *

**Chapter 3.**

**During a long break on their march**

They wandered till afternoon until everyone decided to take a break to recover from their long walk on a lone mountain path.

Because of the upcoming battle, everyone is very tense, which is why the camp is rather quiet, only a few Shepherds talking to each other. Robin herself doesn't feel well, her thoughts swirling around her strategy for this crucial battle. Her stomach feels sick, angst and insecurity trying to dominate her thoughts. The brown-haired tactician is sitting further away on the ground, looking at several sheets of paper where their formation and each possible outcome is noted down. When she arrives to the part of 'drastic situations', swallowing suddenly becomes hard, feeling her hands shaking. She thought she had overcome her trauma from the last battle at least a little bit. But oh, how wrong she is.

Robin hears footsteps approaching her. Olivia joins her, sitting down next to her onto the ground. "Hello, Robin." she says with a quiet, calm voice.

"Oh, hey. Is something the matter?" the brown-haired tactician asks. She is glad to be distracted for an instant. The dancer looks shyly at her feet.

"I-I wanted to talk do you about what happened in the morning..." she lifts her head then and looks at Robin, insecurity and concern mixed in her eyes. "You seemed so...lost. Especially after Lord Chrom talked to you." Her delicate arms hugged her knees. She blushes. "I-I mean, I have no intention in forcing you to tell me what was wrong. B-But I am..worried. One could see that something was bothering you immensely."

The memory of this morning hits Robin's mind again. She looks into Olivia's eyes, somehow feeling horrible right now. That girl in front of her is worried about her, and the only thing the tactician thinks of is her jealousy towards her because of Chrom. But Olivia is perfect. She's the perfect woman for probably anyone. A perfect woman for a perfect man, a man like Chrom. Robin swallows, her throat somehow as dry as the desert, and forces a smile. "Well..." she begins, not actually knowing how to continue. "...I was just...in a bad mood. I'm sorry for making you worry, though. This was absolutely not my intention"

The pretty dancer's lips form a small smile, which fades after a few seconds. "Do you tell me the truth?...I mean, you really looked hurt when our Lord walked past you, and you barely talked to each other during our march, and-"

Robin interrupts her in putting her finger onto her lips, then placing her hand on the rose-haired dancer's shoulder. "Things are just complicated right now, you know. The wounds that our last battle caused still need to recover." Her voice sounds now breakable, saddened. The dancer nods slowly, looking into the tactician's brown eyes.

"May I ask you something, Robin?...And please...don't be mad at me."

Robin blinks, but nods, not guessing what could come. "Mhmm."

Olivia breathes in and out, as if trying to ready herself for what she's going to ask. "Robin," she pauses, looking on the ground for a short moment before looking into the tactician's face again. "do you hide...any romantic feelings for Chrom?"

Robin's heart stands still for a moment, heat rushing to her cheeks. She parts her lips in surprise, but nothing but 'errr's' and 'uhhm's' come out of it. Olivia waits patiently, though she starts to smile at Robin's loss of words. The tactician herself is shocked by her stuttering, but before she can answer, a loud cheering interrupts their conversation. Both the dancer and Robin turn around, looking to the others. Out of curiosity, Olivia stands up, and Robin follows, now glad that she doesn't have to answer Olivia's question yet. As they join the others, they spot Frederick and Sumia. They were holding hands.

"Congratulations!" Lissa squeels in excitement, clapping her hands.

"I hope ya' take care of Sumia, or I'll kick you to the moon, you hear me!?" Sully threatens, and Frederick smiles confident.

"I shall give you no reason to do so. I will protect Sumia, even if it means to sacrifice my own life."  
Sumia then turns to him, frowning.

"My love, I won't let you die for my sake. We'll protect each other...and not even my clumsiness will hinder us!" Both share intense eye contact, which seems to be awkward for Lissa now who's standing right next to them.

"W-What's going on?" Olivia is as confused as Robin, though the situation seemed obvious enough for the tactician to come to a fast conclusion of the situation. Still, Stahl confirms her thought:  
"Frederick and Sumia just announced their engagement! Isn't that great?" Olivia's mouth falls open, and she rushes quickly to the soon-married couple and congratulates them. Robin's lips form a smile.

_'I thought Sumia loved Chrom...' _The tactician walks over to the couple and also congratulates them happily, wishing them the best and looking forward for their wedding. She knew that they spent a lot of time together, since they were always the first ones to be awake and preparing a lot before anyone even attended a half-sleeping state. Robin got the feeling that pairing them up in battle here and there had a great impact on their relationship. Observing both Sumia and Frederick, they look happy, their eyes sparkling with admiration for one another and their hands never parting. Somehow, Robin is relieved to see Sumia happy with Frederick, a man worshipping her efforts and love for him.

Now everybody's talking about the couple, excitement and laughter could be heard from every corner. It was a good idea to announce their engagement, the tensed atmosphere is almost completely gone...for now.

Robin's smile fades slowly, coming to a realization. It's up to her if they'll be able to marry. They have to survive the final battle against that mad king, and the pressure is greater now than ever before. Sumia and Frederick need to survive, everybody needs to survive, so they can celebrate their wedding all together. The burden on the tactician's shoulders feels now almost too heavy for her to bear, and she feels her hands shaking again. _'I need to take a walk.'_

With her sheets of paper ready, she simply walks along the road back where they came from. Robin walks slowly, her thoughts lost in her sheets of paper. She thinks about the war books Flavia had back in Ferox. _'I should've taken them with me.' _she thinks frustrated. Her tactic would be save, but what if it isn't save enough? She bites her lower lip, sitting down under one of the few trees on this mountain path. She places her sheets next to her after studying them over and over again, her elbows resting on her knees and her face in her hands. '_What if someone precious will die again? Emmeryn, Phila__ and all the others. Can you forgive me__?'_

Her eyes start to burn, and she feels the tears coming. She suppressed them all the time, since she didn't want anyone to worry, or else. _' Don't cry.' _she whispers in her mind. _'Be strong. I know you can. You can cry out of happiness if we win this war.'_

Then, something unexpected happens.

Robin twichets, hearing a fireball smashing against the tree above her. A big, burning piece of wood is about to fall down on her, and only the gods could save her now. But the gods didn't.

The tactician feels someone crashing against her, rolling into a save distance and getting away unharmed. As Robin opens her eyes, she blinks in relieve. "Tharja!"

Tharja gets up immediately, pulling out her tome. "I told you once I'll save your bones. Get up now." Robin does, pulling out her own Elthunder.

"You really did, thank you." Robin smiles, and she could see a smirk on Tharja's lips. The mage who tried to attack Robin pops out of his little hideout, facing now both of them. He's a Risen.

"What's a Risen doing here?" Robin asks in wonder.

"You should rather question what he's doing here on his own." Tharja says, and just in this moment more Risen appear, two, three, now ten of them. "Yay, danger."

"Let's do this." Robin says confident, making herself mentally and physically ready to attack.

And so the lady-duo fights with all they've got, striking down the first four Risen easily. The next few are harder to hit, but they can manage to do so. And finally, the last two are dead, disappearing in a purple fog. Robin tries to catch her breath, adrenaline rushing through her body. "We should inform the others." The darkmage only nods, and so they run back. That's what they thought to do, until they heard a strangesound in the air. "What's this sound?!" The tactician turns around.

A short axe comes flying in her direction and she quickly tries to avoid the attack. Still, the axe hits her shoulder badly, leaving a deep cut and making Robin scream in pain while falling to the ground. Tharja's eyes widen, and immediately turns to kill the Risen they didn't notice before. The darkmage defeats it and immediately turns to Robin. Her cloak is drowned in blood on her shoulder. "Sit up." she commands. The brown-haired tactician moans quietly from the pain, sitting up slowly.

"Take off your coat, we need to see how deep your wound is."  
Robin is able to pull one arm out easily, but refuses to pull out the other. "No..." she breathes out. "Not here." she gasped, the pain making her mind fuzzy.

"Well then. Can you walk?" the black-haired darkmage asks. The tactician gets up with Tharja's help, and together they walk back, the darkmage looking around for any other enemies.

Though they didn't expect Chrom, Vaike and Gaius rushing into their direction. Vaike stops in front of them. "What happened!? We heard someone scream and came here immediately!"

"Some of those monsters lurked around here, trying to kill our tactician." she said with her usual voice. Gaius sucks on his sucker before he speaks.

"That looks bad there..." he points at Robin's wound. The prince himself looks at Robin, fear and worry in his face.

"Let me carry you to Libra. He'll take care of this." Robin looks at Chrom, her cheeks getting hot. He looks at her the way he sometimes did a few weeks ago whenshe was hurt in battle.

"You don't need to carry me. I can walk by myself." she didn't want to say this in a harsh tone, but she did. Chrom frowns angered.

"Stop talking. You're wounded, so let me carry you and don't struggle."

Before she could complain, Chrom picks her up bridal style, making sure that her wounded shoulder isn't the one pressed against him. "L-let me go!" his tactician commands angrily. "My shoulder's wounded, not my leg!" Chrom just carries her back, don't paying attention to her complaining. "We'll fix this quickly, just hold still and let me hold you."

Robin blushes at his words, her heart rate growing faster. It's the first time he talks to her in weeks, and somehow, she feels amazing in his arms. She won't show it on the outside though.  
"You overprotective fool..." she mumbles, her eyes burning again. She lets her forehead rest against him.

* * *

** A/N: **  
I don't know what to think of this chapter, actually. The first time writing an action scene was...strange. And difficult.  
I hope you liked this chapter and the content of it nevertheless. :)  
Reviews and critique are welcome as always. :D


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

Hey there everybody!  
Thank you for your reviews and thanks to everyone following and liking this story.

Sorry for posting a short chapter again, but University started a couple of days ago so I had no time to write bigger chapters. I will also update not so fast as in the beginning. :3  
I also edited the first chapter a little bit, putting some space between the conversation there. :D

Hope you enjoy this little chapter here ~

* * *

**Chapter 4.**

**In a small tent**

Libra and Lissa took care of Robin's wound. It was a deep cut, but they said it would heal in several days if Robin takes her conocotion regularly.

Lissa is putting a bandage around Robin's shoulder carefully after Libra left them. "I'm glad that you're alright!" she says, frowning. "We kinda panicked when we heard that scream." Robin smirks weakly.

"I'm so sorry, really. I never thought that the Risen were here." she says, lowering her head. After Chrom brought her to the healers, he immediately ordered everyone to gather their things together. They wanted to depart as soon as Libra and Lissa took care of Robin. "I hope they won't return again...and I probably should have been more careful. I'm slowing you down now." But the princess to her left shakes her head.

"You don't slow us down. It could have happened to anyone, and the wound will heal with time. You should be glad that Tharja was close to you, though. " She giggles. "Having a stalker seems to have some bright sides." Robin couldn't contain a laugh.

"Yes. I would have been dead then for sure. I owe her." then the brunette smiles softly at the princess, who nods once as she finally finishes tying up the bandage.

"Chrom should thank her, too. He really freaked out when he-" and just before Lissa could end her sentence, her older brother enters the tent.

"Hey. Are you done? It would be the best if we leave as soon as we can." Robin feels her cheeks getting warm immediately. Lissa looks at her brother.

"I just finished. We could depart anytime." she grins, and Chrom smiles in response, though he somehow locks his eyes on Lissa's. The princess' smile fades, and her eyes show some confusion until she opens her mouth in an understanding motion. "Alright then. I'll leave you two alone now."

The future-king frowns, as if he didn't want Lissa to speak his desire out lout. The blonde girl turns to Robin and winks before she leaves the tent. Robin's face looks confused, but she says a quiet 'see you soon'. Everything inside the brown-haired tactician's body is tense, now that she's alone with the prince. She doesn't show it on the outside, though. "So, you want to talk to me?" She is amazed by how neutral her voice sounds. The bluenette nods.

"Vaike and Gaius went back to the place where you and Tharja fought those Risen." he starts, and then his expression turns sad. "They found some shreds of paper that didn't burn completely."  
Robin's throat dries out immediately and her eyes wide in shock. Chrom presses his lips together until he continues. "I assume our formation and everything we planned was written down on those papers?" And Robin nods, and she feels like throwing up right now.

"Well..losing them isn't much of a problem. I have everything in my head. I don't need them." The brunette tries to sound confident, even though she isn't. Of course she knows their plan by heart, but somehow it hurts that she lost those sheets. They held the Shepherd's hopes for ending this horrible war, and holding them in her hands gave Robin something to hold on.

Robin tries to order her thoughts for a moment, when Chrom sits down a few inches away from her. "Alright then. I wanted to tell you since you somehow clung to them the last few days." he says. Robin looks at him and the distance between them, somehow having the desire to break it.

"Y-Yeah, I probably did.." she says, almost too quiet to hear it. "That's because I want everything to work out this time. It HAS to work out. No plan B or C, there is only this one." Her stomach feels sick again, and her hands get shaky. "And I will try my best so everything's going to run just as planned." She swallows, looking at her lap. The tactician suddenly feels fingertips brushing her bandage carefully with not too much pressure.

"Don't push yourself too much. You're not alone, you know. We're with you." he pauses for a few seconds before he continues. "I don't want you to bear that burden by yourself, since this isn't your war." His voice sounds saddened, but Robin shakes her head.

"It is, since the ones I love are also involved in this. And I will do everything to protect them." she says, looking at Chrom who immediately shuns her eyes. Seeing how he looks away makes her angry and sad at the same time. "Chrom, look at me please."

He doesn't reply and looks somewhere else. The tactician moves closer to him, her grief conquering her anger towards him. "Do you hate me?"

This catches his attention, and he looks into her face immediately. "Gods, no! How could I ever hate you?!"

"Because I failed you..because we lost Emmeryn, the pegasus knights, that battle..." she pauses for a brief moment, but before she could speak up again, she feels Chrom taking her hand and squeezing it so fiercely it almost hurts.

"Didn't I tell you that you are not responsible for their deaths?" his expression looks serious, making his face look more handsome than it already was. "So don't feel guilty. I don't want you to carry this burden since, like I said before, this is not your war. You did the best you could, and you can't imagine how much I appreciate everything you already did for us." then he pauses for a short moment. "Robin, I don't want you to get hurt. If this is too much for you, then you should stay in Ylisstol."

The brunette looks at the prince in shock and shakes her head quickly. "No. No no no." She increases the pressure on his hand now. "You saved me, so I'll stay by your side, no matter what." She could see him biting his lip before he speaks again.

"But you did enough for us already. And the last thing I want is that you feel responsible for MY mistakes." The tactician then shakes her head again.

"When I opened my eyes back then, you and Lissa were the first ones I saw in this new life. First, I was afraid, even as I fought by your side. I thought about my life before, and who I actually was. But as we spent more time together, fought together and laughed together, I stopped to care about my life before." she breathes in and out for a moment before she goes on. "I want to stay with the Shepherds. I want to fight for the people of Ylisse, my friends, and...for you..."

The prince places his free hand into her neck, resting his forehead against hers. "Stop talking already." he says, but not with enough earnestness to keep Robin from talking.

"We are partners in crime, captain and tactician. And I'm also the sword at your side if you wish." her words are almost a whisper now, her heartbeat pumping in her ears as she realizes how close they were. Their cheeks are painted in red, and neither of them tries to back away as they look into each others eyes. The tactician tries her best to breath slowly, but her instincts and her heart rate fight against her. Almost afraid she raises her free hand, placing it onto his chest as he leans his head closer to hers, their noses touching slightly.

_'What is this feeling?'_

Her mind begins to spin as his hand moves from her neck down her back gently and his head leans in again. He closes his eyes, and Robin follows his example quickly. Her insides feel like they're about to catch fire, but a nice kind of fire, a fire Robin can't describe herself.

As their lips almost touch, she grips the clothing on his chest, moving instinctively closer once more. With a low voice, she hears him whisper her name.

Then, someone enters the tent, and both the prince and the tactician look up immediately. Olivia is standing there, her lips parted and her eyes widened. Then she gets pale and mumbles something unintelligible before she runs out of the tent.

"Uhm.." is the only thing Chrom could bring up now, his face completely red. He gets up immediately and almost runs out of the tent as if he's being hunted.

For a moment, Robin sits still. Her heart beats fiercely, and she touches her lips with her fingertips slightly. Then she thinks of Olivia and remembers their talk a few hours ago. She swallows.

* * *

**A/N:**

Yeah, some tension between Robin and Chrom. I don't know if this scene is alright and comes not too fast, but I really wanted to write this since I didn't plan on making this story too long.

Thank you very much for reading. I hope you liked it, and reviews and stuff are very appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

Hello there everyone!  
Sorry for not updating so fast! I must admit that this chapter was really hard to write, and since Uni and projects and life clashed together, it really took some time to write this one here.  
But before I write some more stuff, I hope that you enjoy this chapter! :)

* * *

**Chapter 5.**

**In the late evening**

They continued their march and reached the Border Sands again. The wind and sand caused some trouble for the soldiers at first, but with the help of the pegasus knights and mages, they moved forward very fast, leaving the Border Sands behind in only a couple of hours. The sun began to set slowly then. Because of the attack on Robin, they lost time, and they decided to look for a save place to rest.

Frederick was completely against it, since they already entered the enemies territory. But it would have been too careless to wander in the darkness of the night, too. Frederick obliged then, but asked for some volunteers for a night shift. Panne, Kellam and Miriel volunteered, reassuring the others to keep an eye on everything. Panne is very aware of her surroundings, which is why she would be probably the first to notice an uninvited guest. Miriel could attack from afar then, while Kellam is perfect for ambush attacks since the enemies don't see him.

After everything was settled, they started to put up their camp.

It's her turn in cooking for the crew tonight, which is why Robin is checking on their food supplies and is picking some things for the stew she wants to make with Lissa and Ricken. Her thoughts are dominated by the actions of this whole day, though. Somehow, too much happened in such a short period of time. Her talk with Tharja, Olivia, the attack, her angst for the upcoming battle, and..

They almost kissed. The tactician and her captain almost kissed. Robin still can't believe that this almost happened. His hand on her back, his familiar scent in her nose...and his somehow dry lips slightly touching hers. Her cheeks turn red at the thought again and a warmth floods her heart when thinking of the future-king. She always thought of Chrom. If she didn't think of tactics or the Shepherds well being, she thought of Chrom. Though Chrom is a part of the Shepherds, so she only didn't think of him when she made up some plans.

Robin presses her lips together, forgetting the vegetables and her kitchen-duty completely for an instance. She scratches the back of her head and then, without noticing, places her palm into her neck where his hand had been a few hours ago. Robin thinks about Olivia who ran into them today. Her pale face. The question she asked the tactician before.

Robin knows that Olivia isn't the person to spread rumors. But she feels that she needs to talk to the dancer soon. Maybe tomorrow morning would be a good idea. Or tonight after dinner.

"Are you thinking about him?"

Robin turns around to face Tharja in the tent. The tactician feels her cheeks burning. "N-no." She somehow couldn't get more out. "But I want to thank you for saving my life today. You seemed so busy talking to Vaike, so I left you alone." She couldn't restrain a small grin when speaking Vaike's name out loud, and Tharja's expression turns dark.

"I didn't come here to talk about him." she says while rolling her eyes. "But no problem, I think...for the first thing you said." Robin could see Tharja smirking. Then the darkmage speaks up again. "But I don't want you to switch topics." With long steps she walks towards the tactician, looking into her eyes. "I wanted to ask you why Olivia ran out of the tent you and Chrom were in two seconds after she entered it."

Robin opens her mouth, but she's speechless. Of course Tharja saw it, her eyes are almost everywhere. The darkmage shrugs suddenly. "If you won't tell me, fine. I realized I don't want to hear it, anyway. I can draw a conclusion for myself."

"N-No! We didn't do anything...scandalous." Robin lowers her head a bit.

"Well, I bet for Olivia it was." Tharja says.

"Let's say Chrom and I were...gods why am I telling you this?" Robin asks herself, red from head to toe.

"Because I'm curious."

"...Nevertheless, I want to talk to Olivia soon about what happened. I feel like she's-"

"Hurt? Could be. She and Chrom spent a lot of time together, after all."

Robin swallows. "She asked me if I love Chrom." The tactician shoves strands of her hair behind her ear. Tharja raises an eyebrow and grins in amusement.

"Do you?" the darkmage asks.

Then, Ricken and Lissa enter the tent. "Robin, we prepared everything already! Where are you? Oh, and hey Tharja!" Lissa's expression turns from inpatient to friendly in one sentence.

"O-Oh, yes, I chatted with Tharja and somehow forgot the time, sorry." Robin says with a weak smile. She doesn't know why this happened again, but she is somehow relieved that she doesn't have to answer.

"Everybody's hungry, so we should hurry and start with the stew." Ricken says with a smile while Tharja is leaving the tent, giving Robin one last glance.

* * *

Robin enjoys cooking with Lissa and Ricken. Lissa isn't very talented, but she still tries her best and improves more and more. The same goes for Ricken, though he rather talks about tomes and how he could improve his training. Lissa seems to be the same as always, though Robin knows how she feels. The tactician hopes that the little things they do distract her from the loss of her sister.

As they're done, everyone is already hungry and waiting for them. Everybody's talking and somewhat lively, not like in their first break where the mood was down as ever.  
Robin is sitting between Cordelia and Nowi during their dinner. She looks satisfied as Lissa, Ricken and she get compliments for their stew.

When Robin is done, she decides to go to her tent already. She is tired from the whole day, and wants to take a conocotion for her aching shoulder.  
As she gets up, she says goodnight to Cordelia and Nowi before putting her dishes to the rest of the dirty ones. The tactician holds her hand in front of her mouth while she's yawning, and then feels the presence of a figure next to her. The scent is familiar as ever.

As she looks up, she looks into Chrom's eyes. Her heart skips a beat, and she forces herself not to blush at the sight of him. He then looks away immediately, making the tactician feel a sting in her heart. She swallows, and says "Hey."

"Hey." the prince says, still not looking at his tactician while sorting his dishes.

Robin plays with a button of the cloak Miriel gave her after hers was damaged by the attack.  
"Did you like the stew?" she asks, so the silence between them won't have a chance to become awkward. "Lissa and Ricken put much effort into it."

"Y-Yeah. Perfectly fine. And, uhm. I complimented Lissa and Ricken already." the future-king stutters.

She wants to say something else, but then Olivia joins them, putting her dish to the other ones. Chrom immediately turns to her.

"Olivia." he says. Robin looks at the dancer. She wants to say something, but Chrom is faster.  
"Can we talk? The both of us?" The tactician could swear that Olivia's cheeks are flushed.

"Yes, Milord." the dancer answers shyly.

Chrom turns to Robin one last time, his glare piercing through her. "Good night, Robin. Rest well."

"Y-Yeah. Good night, to the both of you." she answers, her fingers clenching her cloak. She could hear Olivia murmuring a shy 'good night' as well before she leaves with the prince. The brunette feels strange, knowing that the two of them were talking in private, probably about what happened today? Chrom is the captain of the Shepherds, so of course he wants to clear things with anyone. But still.

Robin exits the dinning-tent, walking over to her own sleeping tent. She changes her clothes, though putting her tome right next to her cot for the case, and takes then the conocotion Libra gave her. Her shoulder aches, though the conocotion relieves her from the pain, at least for the night. As she lies down on her good shoulder, she pulls the blanket almost completely over her, thinking about Chrom. He didn't even look at her.

Yes, what happened flustered both of them. But still, while the tactician tries to pull herself together in order to talk to Chrom neutrally, he himself isn't even able to look into her face. It hurts and makes her stomach feel sick again.  
And then she wonders what Chrom is going to tell Olivia. Her head plays several scenes through, though they always end up with Chrom somehow falling for the beautiful dancer after she confesses to him. Robin kicks herself then from the inside, closing her burning eyes and trying to suppress her jealousy.

_'Olivia isn't in love with Chrom, is she...?'_

With her heart feeling heavy, she slowly drifts into the sleep she longed for the whole evening.

* * *

The next morning, Robin didn't feel like putting on her cloak. She simply went outside, not wondering how she couldn't feel the chill air in this sunny morning.

Gregor then approaches her, telling her that Gaius did the breakfast and how horrible it tastes. The tactician blinks in wonder, since it was Sumia's, Cordelia's and Virion's turn to do breakfast. But before she could answer, Gregor walks into another direction angrily.

Robin doesn't know why, but she runs into the dining tent, only finding the stew from yesterday being heated again.

"Good Morning, bubbles." the handsome thief says in his usual tone. "Did you sleep well?"

"Where are the sweets you did for breakfast? I want to try some." the brunette answers completely out of context. Gaius looks at her in total confusion, making Robin feel uncomfortable. She leaves the tent again.

Robin suddenly hears weeping. Looking around, she sees Lissa, her face in her palms and her sobs painful and heavy. The tactician approaches the princess.

"Why are you crying? Didn't you like Gaius' breakfast?" The tactician places her hand on the princess' shoulder, who slaps it away immediately.

"I HATE it!" she sobs loudly. "And I hate YOU!" Robin places her hand on her heart.

"Huh?!"

"Where's Emm?! Why did she have to die?!" Lissa yells at Robin. The brunette feels panic rising up, her breathing going faster than usual.

"P-please calm down. There is some stew from yesterday, you should eat it up."

"I don't want some stupid stew! I want my sister back!" the blonde cries while she hugs herself bitterly. Robin simply runs away, completely filled with fear.

Without knowing why, she runs into Chrom's tent. His tent looks like the room she had in Ferox.  
"Chrom!" Robin says in relieve. She couldn't hold herself, running to him and hugging him fiercely.

"Please tell me it isn't my fault. Please..." she sobs as the pushes her fingernails into Chrom's back. But he pushes her away.

"Stop this, seriously. Olivia could get jealous." he says, his expression somewhat angered.

"Why? I mean, I love you." The tactician's eyes fill up with tears. "Tell me you love me, too. Tell me this isn't my fault."

"I love Olivia. And I'm not sorry." the prince answers, his answer feeling strange, though.

Robin feels an ache in her chest. "This isn't my fault!" she yells. "You liar! You told me you'd never leave me!" Somehow, without knowing why, she presses her eyes shut tightly.

…

Then she wakes up with a startled, but short scream.  
She sits up, her body completely tense and her heartbeat hammering for an instance. The brunette breathes in and out, relieve making her tense muscles relax slowly.

_'Just a dream...it was...just a dream._' she thinks immediately.

_'A stupid nightmare.' _The brunette feels tired and her head aches.

"Robin? Can I come in?" It was Panne.

"U-Uhm...yeah, sure." She remembers that the taguel volunteered for the night shift. Panne then enters the tent with a cup in her hands.

"You had a nightmare." she says coldly.

"How do you know?" the tactician asks in surprise.

"You were whining for hours. Here, drink this." The taguel hands her the cup over. Robin almost forgot that taguel have excellent hearing abilitys. She then takes the cup into her hands and smells the content.

"W-What is this?! It smells awful!"

"The herbs in there make you sleep soundly. If you don't want to drink it, don't." Panne says.

Robin then gulps. Panne is very honest, so these herbs surely keep the promised effect the taguel was talking about. And after breathing in and out, Robin swallows most of the potion.

"It tastes worse than it smells..." Robin shudders in distaste.

"But it will help you. Your whining and mumbling for Chrom was distracting." the taguel says.

"...S-sorry.." the brunette says with a saddened undertone. Then her eyes widen, and her cheeks flush immediately. "I-I said Chrom's name?"

"One thing or another" the taguel answers. "You're very honest in your sleep, man-spawn."

Robin felt very uncomfortable. She grips her sheet tightly in her fists, looking at her lap in shame. The tactician feels stupid for this dream, though she knows she can't control it.

When the silence between them grows too big, Panne makes her way out of the tent. "Go to sleep again. You need to recover properly, especially your wound."

"P-Panne, wait!" Robin says.

"Hm?" their eyes meet, and Robin frowns.

"Did I...say something else?" The taguel blinks.

"What else?" she asks. Robin bites her lower lip and thinks for a moment. Should she ask if she mumbled how much she loves Chrom? It was strange that someone could have heard her deep, unspoken feelings before she even confirmed them for herself. She always knew that she felt somehow attracted to the prince. Not because she saw him naked. No, it started far before this. When he told her how much he put his trust in her. How he protected her in battle and the fun they always had in moments in between. The way they laughed together, and even when they had a small fight. Robin enjoyed every moment. And then Emm died. And then he started to avoid her. And had closer contact to Olivia.

"..N-Nothing. It's alright." The brunette says, almost in a whisper, and Panne leaves.

The realization hits her hard.

She lies down and closes her eyes. The tactician sees Chrom smiling at her, wishing that she could tell him how she feels. But not now. They will soon challenge Gangrel, and she can't get distracted now.

_'__I love you with all my being.__'_

* * *

**A/N:  
**Well...yeah, that was it.  
I somehow regret writing the last chapter, since I feel that it came too quick. I simply wanted to write it, to have some interaction/ romantic tension between Chrom and Robin. That's why this chapter was somehow hard to write ; I felt like everything I wrote was somehow...I don't know how to describe this. But well, I learned from this now, and if I do another multichapter story, I will keep in mind not to write half-kissing scenes too hasty because I wanted to.

And yeah, this 'dream scene' is strange! I simply wrote it that confusing because my dreams are always kinda confusing, too. Some senseless sentence here and there, with answers and pieces completely out of context. I really didn't want to write this dream too serious and detailed, since dreams are mostly fuzzy and go by quickly. :)

Though I'll update really slow, I hope that you still enjoy this story that will come to an end soon.

BUUUT I'm working on another fic nearby!  
I'm thinking about writing a HenryxOlivia fic (Love these babies!) from the point where Henry joins the Shepherds! I'm already writing down what could happen and stuff...I hope I will be able to publish this. And if that's not the case, I will at least post a Oneshot! ;_;

Nevertheless, hope you liked this chapter! I update very slow, but I WILL finish this! ddfzgfzdf  
Reviews are always appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

Yaaay, another chapter! hshduzgf (Sorry for taking so long! q.q but you know..Uni and stuff!)

A big THANK YOU to everyone who likes/follows this story! I actually can't believe it that so many people like this! I'm so happy! 3  
Again, before I write more stuff, enjoy this chapter! 3

* * *

**Chapter 6.**

**The next morning**

A bad headache is the first thing Robin notices when she opens her eyes again.

_'Oh Gods...not today, seriously..'_

The tea Panne gave her really made her sleep without having a bad dream again. The tactician wonders where the headache comes from, and she just sits up slowly and lets out a long, long sigh. After breathing in and out a few times, she gets up and grabs some fresh clothes. Her shoulder still aches but she is happy that she didn't sleep on that shoulder unintentionally.

As she exits her tent, the sun is barely rising. The sky is clear and the air is fresh, making goosebumps appear on Robin's skin. The tactician heads to the bathing-tent for women and spots Frederick and Sumia on her way. They're awake for a couple of hours for sure, Robin thinks.

In the bathing-tent, Robin washes herself quickly. She doesn't want to waste time and actually isn't in the mood to bathe that long, anyway. As she puts on her clean clothes and ties up her brown curls as usual, she decides to see Lissa for a new bandage for her shoulder and maybe for something against her headache.

As she's done with bathing, more Shepherds are on their feet – slowly, but steady. She greets Maribelle, Donnel, and wishes Miriel, Kellam and Panne good couple of hours of sleep before they depart. Then she arrives at Lissa's tent. "Lissa? Are you awake?" Silence. Robin is about to leave the princess alone, but then she hears her voice.

"I think so. Come in, Robin."

The brunette enters the tent, only to spot the yawning princess. Her hair is open and hanging tangled behind her back. Robin couldn't contain a small laugh. "Good Morning, sleepyhead." Lissa glares at her, but she's too tired to be angry.

"Yeah, morning." she replies and groans

Robin then asks for what she came over for in the first place, "I don't want to disturb you, but I wanted to ask you if you could give me a fresh bandage for my shoulder? And maybe something against my headache..."

Lissa just nods and yawns again, getting up from her cot and searching a bandage in her own bag.  
"Sit down on my cot." the blonde says, and Robin does, removing her cloak to expose the wound.  
The princess also takes her healing-staff and sits down next to Robin. "It still looks horrible." Lissa says, frowning.

"Yeah, it still hurts. But I actually managed not to sleep on that shoulder last night." the tactician replies, smiling. Then she twitches as Lissa's healing does it's magic on her wound, and the brunette soon feels more relieved from her pain.

As Robin watches Lissa, she remembers her dream and what Lissa said to her. She looks at her lap then and bites her lip. "Lissa?"

"Yes?" the blonde looks up with her big, green orbs.

"I just wanted to thank you. For everything, I mean." the tactician grins happily.

Lissa is speechless for a short instant. "Thank you, but why are you telling me this all of a sudden?"

"Why shouldn't I? Some praise feels good sometimes." Robin replies. "You're important to us...except when you prank me." Lissa couldn't contain a laugh.

"Aw, come on! That was fun! Maybe I should-"

"No. No no and no."

Lissa pouts. "Mmh. Alright. But there must be another reason why you're telling me this."

The brunette frowns. "There is none. I just wanted to tell you that I like you." Lissa starts to bandage Robin's shoulder, though her eyes lie angrily on Robin's. "There is nothing wrong with that. Or do I really compliment you so rarely?"

"No, that's not it. But I noticed that you're...upset lately." the blonde says. Robin looks at her and blinks.

"Why should I be upset? I'm simply nervous and stressed because of the war." The princess shakes her head a bit.

"I know how you act when you're stressed. Robin, I might know you much better than you thought I do." The brunette looks onto her lap again. Lissa is right, she DOES know Robin pretty well.

"It's nothing...bad, really." The tactician decides not to talk herself out of this situation. It would probably make her feel worse in the end if she would.

"...Tell me nontheless." the blonde royal says.

"I just had a bad dream, and somehow I needed to tell you how important you are to me after this. That's all." The tactician's voice sounds sad suddenly while Lissa finishes her work.

"A bad dream, huh?...What was it about? Did I do or say something?" the princess asks as Robin puts her cloak back on. She presses her lips together.

"It was a crazy dream, somehow. I acted strange, and you cried, told me that you hate me, and how horrible Gaius' sweets are." The blonde couldn't contain a giggle at the last words, and Robin starts to laugh, too. "Pretty dumb, huh? And then I ran to Chrom, and suddenly everything looked like Ferox castle." The brunette folds her hands together on her lap. Silence follows.

"And then? That's it?" Lissa's voice suddenly sounds calm, as if she could feel what's about to come up.

"I-I..." Robin stutters. Her eyes start to burn again, tears making their down her cheeks. "I-I begged Chrom to stay with me...b-but he didn't want to..h-he..." she sobs and immediately holds a hand in front of her mouth, also turning her face away from Lissa. She feels uncomfortable and unstable with crying in front of Lissa, the sister of the guy she loves. "I-I'm sorry...I don't know what's gotten into me-"

"No. It's alright." Lissa interrupts her, wrapping her arm around her shoulders gently, not too much to hurt Robin's wounded shoulder. "Sometimes, even the strongest cry. There is nothing wrong with that." Robin then faces Lissa, sobbing, and nods weakly.  
"I-I just f-feel so bad right know." the brunette sobs. "I feel like everything hits my head in one, big piece of worries, fears and feelings."

Then the blonde continues. "I could never hate you, you know. Not after everything good you did to us. You're one of my best friends. But don't tell Maribelle, okay? She might get jealous!" And even though she sobs heavily, Robin laughs, wiping the tears away with her sleeve.

"Your secret is in good hands." she says and smiles, though it is cracked by the new tears rolling down.

"And don't forget that you're not alone. Everybody's there for you. You just need to call someone and we'll be there." the princess says sweetly, her words comforting Robin immensely.

"Thank you...really." the tactician says with a weak smile.

"But you really...love him, don't you?" Lissa then asks, frowning, though her lips still form a soft smile. Robin needs a couple of seconds to answer. She can't deny it, not after telling Lissa about that nightmare, though she left out some details of the end. She nods slowly and her cheeks become hotter, drying out her tears.

"Oh, Robin." Lissa voice sounds almost excited. "I knew it, but now knowing that you really do have feelings for him..." The brunette eyes widen.

"How did you know? I mean, I-I didn't know by myself until that dream." Lissa grins then.

"The way you looked at him after some time. You tried to hit him with stones and stuff before, always talking about what a dork he is." she says. "And when you're with him, I, well, everybody, realized how happy you are. Not because Chrom tells you to discuss some stupid tactics, but because you know each other perfectly. You actually make each other laugh and smile all the time, and you're so...relaxed together. One can see how you seem to forget that damn war for a short moment when you're together. I think you simply didn't notice."

Robin's lips form a slight smile at the princess' words. "I would still throw things after him if I have to...but why is he avoiding me then? Even after I thought that everything between us is now clear, he...he shuns me. We don't make each other laugh or smile for some time, after all."Then somehow, the brunette thinks of their 'almost-kiss'. She blushes, and Lissa grins cheerfully, but says nothing. Robin then looks at her, trying to read her expression. But they're interrupted by Frederrick.

"Milady, are you awake?" he asks politely. Both Robin and Lissa turn to the entrance of her tent.

"Yes, I am! Let me get ready, I'll join you for breakfast soon!" she says.

"Alright then. Your fresh clothes lie nicely folded on-"

"Yeah Frederrick, I noticed. Thank you. See you soon!" she interrupts with a giggle, and Frederrick leaves.

"Robin, you should eat something, too." the princess says. "You'll need it for later." Later. When they'll face Gangrel. Robin nods.

"Yeah, you're right. And Lissa?...thank you. I think I really needed to cry after everything that happened." the brunette says. Her heart feels much lighter now, and relief is slowly flooding her body.

"No problem! If you need to cry, my shoulder is always free. And don't worry about my stupid brother, you hear me? I'm pretty sure everything will turn out just fine."

With those words, Robin and Lissa leave the tent, the princess heading to take a bathe and Robin  
to the dining-tent.  
She is sitting between Gaius and Virion this time, and with the blue-haired archer talking with her about tactics, Robin feels well distracted from the chaos in her heart.

She is about to sip some tea, when she realizes Gaius staring at her. "Uh, Gaius? What's wrong? Is there something in my face?"  
The thief raises an eyebrow.

"You're eyes look pretty swollen and red. Did you...cry or something?" Robin kicks herself mentally. She should've seen it coming that one could probably notice. She's a damn tactician, and she can't foresee such small things!?

"Wh-wha? Ah, ahahaha..!" Robin somehow sounds hysteric. "No, I just didn't sleep that well until Panne gave me some herbs that keep strange dreams from coming." The thief's expression relaxes.  
It's not Robin's plan to tell everyone about her worries.

"So you had some strange dreams, too? I dreamed that somehow I looked for chocolate cake, but..." And then he tells Robin about the bittersweet dreams he has for some time now. Every single dream dealing with Gaius searching for sweets, and the Shepherds always by his side, helping him with his search. They were pretty crazy, without any sense, but the way Gaius tells them, they sound like THE adventure. The tactician can't contain a laugh, and is happy that Gaius doesn't ask further questions about her eyes.

"Now, that's...I actually have no words to describe this." she says then, grinning at the thief.

"'Frustrating' may be the right word?" Virion suggests.

"Yeah. It really was frustrating. But enough talk about me. Though I'm glad you laughed again, I want to know 'bout your dream, Bubbles." Gaius says while quickly pulling a sucker out of his pocket. It's neatly wrapped in a multicolored paper. Robin looks at the sucker before her eyes meet the thief's.

"I laugh a lot, you know." the brunette says, pouting. She avoids the part with 'tell me your dream' intentionally.

"But not quite enough, my dear lady." Virion then speaks up. Gaius only nods while rumpling the paper and leaving it on his empty plate.

"Everybody sees how tense you are, Bubbles. Some of us are kinda worried." The thief's words make Robin frown, and it hurts her.

"I...was already told that I seem upset lately. And I really didn't mean to worry you all." she sighs. "Forgive me." Virion and Gaius simply claim that there's no reason to apologize for, but Robin drifts off into her thoughts as she walks back to her tent to pack.

Not only Lissa noticed. Everyone noticed if she believes Gaius' and Virion's words. The last thing Robin wanted is to worry her troops. She just hopes that her mood isn't marking off on everyone else's mood than the war itself already does.

While she packs, her stomach feels horrible. She realizes that maybe today, the war could be over. Right now, everything went fluently. Khan Flavia and Basilios troops would attack from another flank, while the Shepherds themselves would wait at the Border Waists before Flavia would give them a signal.

_'Concentrate, Robin...you must do this. WE CAN do this..'_

"...I won't end up as a love-sick fool on the battlefield." she tells herself out loud.

"R-Robin?" a soft voice floods the tactician's tent, and Robin tenses up as she turns around. "Can I come in?" the voice asks. It's Olivia.

"Y-Yeah of course. Come right in." the brunette says. She actually wanted to talk to Olivia soon, but somehow forgot it this morning. Seeing how Olivia enters the tent, Robin feels nervous. She has no clue what's about to come and no plan could help her out now.

Olivia looks at the ground and blushes before she faces Robin. "A-About the time I bumped into you a-and Lord Chrom.." The tactician shoves strands of hair behind her ear.

"Oh gods, I'm SO sorry about that.." she says, but Olivia then shakes her head.

"No, I must apologize. I just barged in without asking if I'm allowed to." the dancer says.

"But..that surely wasn't nice for you to see, too. I mean..."

_'...I thought you liked Chrom, and then you see him being close to his head-tactician?' _is what Robin wants to say, but she simply stops talking while looking into Olivia's gray eyes. The brunette realizes for the first time ever how horrible it must be for Olivia if she really DOES have feelings for the future-exalt.

"Robin...it really was embarrassing, but it answered my question I asked you earlier." The dancer's lips form a beautiful, gentle smile while Robin blushes deeply at her words. She wants to say something, but was speechless. Olivia continues: "Lord Chrom tried to apologize, too..." and then she giggles, as if it was funny.

"Wh-why are you giggling?" Robin asks as she looks at her shoes, trying to hide her hot cheeks. "I-I thought that...ah, forget it."

"Wh-what?...What should I forget?.." Olivia asks, folding her hands and pressing them to her heart. There it is; the chance to clear things. Robin breathes in and out for an instance before she starts to talk.

"Do...you have feelings for him?" the tactician finally asks. Her heart feels like jumping out of her chest. But she doesn't get the reaction she feared: Olivia blushing, stuttering like she did...None of that.

The rose-haired dancer breathes in and out. "In fact, I...did ask myself if...I feel more attracted to Lord Chrom. He was kind, and IS kind, trying to make me feel comfortable here with the Shepherds. He was one of the first people I somehow normally talked to, without ending the conversation in awkward silence." She pauses, and Robin swallows hard at her words. Then she continues: "but after I was able to open up and talk to the others, I realized that...this was a passing fancy. A crush which faded as fast as it came."

Robin runs her fingers through her ponytail. She actually doesn't know how to respond. "O-okay." is all she is able to get out now. Her answer makes Olivia giggle and smile.

"Believe me. There is nothing to worry about." the dancer finally says.

"...Thank you Olivia. For being so honest." the tactician says. Her eyes start to burn again, and she feels like a crybaby. "I somehow feel like a horrible friend right now.."

Robin feels small hands touching her shoulders lightly without touching her wounded one directly.  
"There is absolutely no reason for you to feel horrible, Robin. You're an amazing friend and companion. It's not my place to say this, but...Lord Chrom would be a fool for rejecting you, especially after the two of you..well, you know." Olivia blushes then, and Robin smiles, placing a hand on top of Olivia's.

"YOU are the amazing one here, Olivia...I hope you stay with the Shepherds and feel home as much as the circumstances allow to." the brunette says.

"I will, Robin. I will."

* * *

With her heart as light as a feather, Robin packed her things. Everybody prepared their weapons, filled the wagons and checked if nothing got lost. Most of the tents were already dismantled, except for a few.

Robin walks into the tent with the weapons to take a new tome.  
But as she walks in, she finds Chrom, and looks directly into his blue eyes.

"Chrom..." she says rather quiet. Her heart skips a beat. "I haven't seen you the whole morning. Are you okay?" the tactician asks. Again, she is amazed by how calm her voice sounds.

"...I'm alright." the prince says, facing away. "I'm just...stressed...and Lissa asked me to bring her a new staff from here." Why he's here wasn't what Robin asked, but she simply nods.

"We're all stressed..and..frightened...but we can do this. I believe in us." she says, her fingers fumbling with her cloak.

"I believe in us too...but.." Chrom looks at his palms before forming them into fists. He's thinking of Emm, Robin sees that immediately. "I'm afraid that one of us could..die in this battle. I couldn't stand loosing someone important to everyone again.."

Robin walks up to him to take one of his fists into her hands confidently. "I promise I'll lead us to victory. No one will die at the enemies hands ever again, you hear me?" She looks straight into his eyes, and his fist relaxes. "Before we depart you should talk to them. You're their leader, and giving them some encouragement from you will make them stronger than ever. Believe me. We can do this together."

Chrom frees his hand from hers carefully. "I could try." he says. Robin misses the warmth of his hand immediately. "Thank you."

Then he takes the staff he came here for in the first place, and Robin knows that he is about to leave her. "Chrom."

As he turns to her, Robin grabs the hem of his shirt and rests her forehead against his chest. She presses her eyes together and bites her lower lip.

"R-Robin!?" Chrom stutters. But she shakes her head.

"After we'll have won this war...there is something I need to tell you." the tactician says as she opens her eyes. She could feel his heart bumping in his chest against her forehead. "And...you'll listen to me, you hear me?"  
As she looks up to face him, the desire to feel her lips touching his grows in her mind. Their eyes are locked, and his cheeks are as red as her own, but she doesn't want to get carried away. She can detain herself very well sometimes.

The brunette breathes in, his nice scent flooding her nose, and out again. Then she lets go, and exchanges a brief look with him before she leaves the tent before him, completely forgetting what she came here for in the first place. But it doesn't matter anymore.

She has another reason to look forward to after the war.

* * *

**A/N:**

I'm really tired...so I hope I didn't oversee any stupid mistakes... D: I'm sorry!

Well...I think that..much happened here? Yeah the thing with Olivia is really short, but the fic is going to end soon, and maybe I'll pick her feelings back up again in the new fic I'm planning to write which will focus on Olivia! c:

Still, I hope this chapter wasn't too messy or too much.

And I hope that you enjoyed it! I'll see you next chapter, everyone!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**

Hello there everyone! Hope you're doing well.  
Soo..here we go with the next chapter! Even though I tried not to, I wrote some...action again. I just felt like if I wouldn't have written this down and if I would have skipped this, it would be...weird..I would have felt bad, then. So I hope this chapter doesn't suck too much, since I'm no expert with action. XD

Nevertheless, thank you again so much for reading, liking and following this story! I appreciate your support a lot! :3

And now, I hope you enjoy reading this! :D

WARNING: This chapter contains violence and blood!

* * *

**Chapter 7.**

**The final battle**

"_My faithful comrades,_

_today is the day to decide our future. The final battle against Plegia arrived, and there is no turning back._

_This war brought so much sorrow to our homeland. So many sacrifices were made – sacrifices we surely won't forget.__  
_

_..._

_This is why it is our duty to not let the sacrifices be in vain!_

_I believe that we can change our fate!_

_I believe that we WILL change it!_

_If you are with me, then raise your weapons and follow me! I will assure you that no one will die by the hand of a mad man ever again!_

_To protect our people, our loved ones and for peace..._

_this is what we're fighting for!_

_Follow me, my dear comrades, into this battle we will win!"_

* * *

Robin remembers Chrom's words each time she strikes down a soldier in front of her.

Her heart is pounding in her ears, sweat running down her brow and adrenaline flowing through her veins.

Her eyes observe the battlefield over and over again. Everything goes as they assumed, and they were able to handle each unexpected situation with ease until now.

_'This is it!'_ is all she could think.

As she runs further to approach other enemies, her legs feel wobbly. The brunette is panting, her body hurting in certain movements. But she tries to ignore it, making the adrenaline taking over her mind. She casts her spell with a fury so strong, it almost overwhelms herself.

After striking down more soldiers, Lissa and Stahl approach her. "Robin, your wounds..!" is all Lissa says in horror.

Robin turns to both of them, spotting the bruises and wounds each of them had, especially Stahl. The tactician observed him protecting the ylissean princess with all he had. "You two don't look any better." she says finally and frowns.

Lissa shakes her head and works her healing magic on the brunette while Stahl takes care of soldiers who try to approach them. "You look horrible. It's a wonder that you actually can stand on your feet." the princess says, frowning.

"You stay here. I c-can spot Sumia and Frederick from here already, so I'll make it to them easily." the brunette's panting doesn't make her sound reliable.

"You are NOT going alone, you hear me!? Stahl, we will watch her back! If she wants it or not!" Stahl turns to them and nods.

"We won't let you down, Robin. We're all in this together!" he says, and Robin could see the bravery in his eyes. And he is right.

Robin isn't able to hold back a smile, and she nods. She pulls her last elixir out of her pocket and drinks all at once. The aching of her body slowly fades.

"Thank you, really. Let's go then." she says confidently. Her hands pull her tome close to her body. Then she runs.

With Lissa and Stahl in her back, Robin is able to fight her way through easily. Each soldier she misses faces Stahl, which is no better than facing her. She moves closer and closer to Sumia and Frederick, who are fighting from their position with all they have. "Sumia! Frederick!" Robin yells.

"Robin!" the pegasus knight turns to her, and with Frederick in her back, she is able to land her pegasus safely, so Robin can get on it without neither of them being harmed. "Robin, you're okay?!" Sumia asks nervously, almost in panic. The brunette nods as she sits behind Sumia on the saddle of her pegasus.

"I'm okay. Let's get going. You remember everything?" she asks with a surprisingly calm voice. And Sumia nods, and after waving their goodbyes to Frederick, Stahl and Lissa, they fly ahead and closer to Gangrel.  
It was Robins plan for their force to split up, attacking the enemy from their right and left flank. The pegasus knights, Sumia and Cordelia, would be waiting on their respective sides for Robin and Chrom to fly them as close to Gangrel as possible. She and Chrom would meet up in the middle and attack Gangrel then, hoping to kill him off in a single blow.

During their flight, they are attacked by several archers and mages, but Robin blocks each of them with a quick counterattack. She remembers Chrom's words again.

"_I believe that we WILL change our fate!"_

Then she remembers Emmeryn.

"_It seems you've earned Chrom's faith, and as such you have mine as well."_

"_Men are beasts! Nothing more! We fight! We kill! We devour our pray!"_

Hearing the mad kings voice in her ears makes Robin shudder and angry at the same time. But she tries to push his words out of her mind.  
_  
_

"We're almost there!" Sumia shouts, and as Robin's gaze flies around, she could spot Cordelia, together with Chrom.

"Yes. I'm ready!" Robin says and tries to sound as confident as she could. Sumia doesn't look at her.

"Please, be careful Robin!...I wouldn't want you to miss my wedding.." Even though her voice is calm, Robin could see how her hand hold onto her spear so tight that she's almost shaking. The brunette makes herself ready to jump off the pegasus, and puts her free hand onto the pegasus knights shoulder.

Then she squeezes it before she says, "I won't. I promise." With a quick move, she jumps from the pegasus but almost falls unlucky because of her faint condition. Looking up, she sees Chrom standing there. Though he's wounded, he seems to be fine. He spots her, too, and quickly they run towards each other. "Chrom!"

"Robin!" the future-king puts his free hand onto her shoulder. "You're alright?" he asks with concern in his eyes.

Her heart starts bumping as she looks into his blue eyes, and her vision becomes somewhat blurry at times. "Y-yeah. What about you?" she asks back. But he couldn't answer. They are attacked by Gangrel's mages faster than they can look, making both of them fly onto the ground after getting hit by Elfire. "D-Dammit!" Robin hisses under her pain. Still, she manages to lift herself up quickly and counters with Elthunder. She hits the mage badly, killing him in one blow.

She holds her side for an instance before looking at her palm, gasping. She's bleeding.

_'Get yourself together!'_ she yells at herself in her head while gritting her teeth. As she catches her breath, she looks around for Chrom who is striking down the second mage. His arm looks bad, though.

The tactician realizes that she cannot run ; her wound hinders her from doing so. She still tries to walk fast to the future-exalt, moaning silently as her wound aches horribly. He also turns to her, and at least he is able to run and is able to approach her.

"Here, drink this." he says as he hands his healing potion over to her. "You need it." She looks at the potion in her hand, and she regrets drinking her elixir earlier. And she hates the way she let her guard down when she saw Chrom..!

"No. We will attack right now." she says panting. "There is no time." The bluenette tries to object, but Robin shakes her head quickly, making her see small stars in her sight. "C'mon."

Chrom knows how right she is; they need to hurry, or they'll be surrounded by new arriving forces, which would mean their safe death in their condition. So he nods and follows Robin as quickly as possible. Gangrel's swordsmen encountered Cordelia and Sumia, which is why they can encounter the mad king, who is waiting at an abandoned fort. The tactician feels completely tense when she eyes Gangrel.

"Come, princeling! I've sharpened my sword just for you! And by the way, clinging to each other won't save you maggots when the boot falls..." they could hear him snarl with anger. He knows he is loosing, Robin could see that in his enraged face. His hand is gripping on his Levin sword too tightly, his teeth gritted together furiously. Chrom points Falchion at his opponent.

"My sister wished for our people to know peace, Gangrel. But as long as you draw breath, it can never come." He swings his sword once with his good arm before getting into his usual fighting stance. "For Ylisse!"

_'For __Emmeryn__! __For the pegasus knights! For everyone!__' …_

Together, Chrom and Robin defeat Gangrel. His last words fill the air: "F-fool of...a prince... Your people care not for you... You are...alone... As every man lives and dies: ...alone.." Silence floods the whole battlefield.

"W-We..." Robin pants exhausted as she holds her side. "...it's over..the war is over.."

A small 'yes' is all Chrom answers. He looks at Falchion, which is painted in blood. "It's over." And then their gazes meet, and the tactician smiles eased as they could hear some ylissean soldiers cheering.

"Robin..." he walks up to her and places his hand onto her shoulder. The brunette feels the sweat on her forehead and her head spinning, but she still manages to see Chrom's serious look on his handsome face.

"Why do you look so serious? Is something wrong..?"

"I...I think I owe you an apology. This wasn't your war to fight." he says. His lips form a straight line as he frowns. Robin sighs.

"..You know how I feel about this, Chrom..I chose to fight it." she tries to smile at him, and she realizes that her vision gets more blurry each second. The future-exalt continues and looks at his feet.

"All I've been thinking about is stopping Gangrel. Even my own life would not have been too high a price to pay..." he breathes in and out deeply, and Robin shakes her head angrily. Only to imagine loosing Chrom forever is..

"I-it would have been for us!..." she pauses her moment, and her ears start to get numb slowly. She knows that it's because she lost too much blood. "...And for me." When Chrom looks into her face again, she only sees him completely blurred, and her eyelids get heavier and heavier, but could still feel his thumb caressing her shoulder.

"As I laid focus on winning this war, I almost pushed away those dear to me..like you, Robin." he says.  
_  
_

_'What?'_

Robin could feel her ears getting numb, she knows that she will faint any second.  
"C-Chrom.." she pants.

"In...ways, you're the bes ….. I've known...and the... friend."

_'I..I can't hear..you...'_

"I never...let you ..."

_'I want to...tell you that..' _Robin cannot hold herself any longer, and in an instance, her eyes fall shut and she feels her body falling.

"R..bin?!...!"

* * *

**A/N:**

Soo...yeah I used many quotes from the actual game in this one, since most of them are flashbacks or stuff, I thought it would be okay...  
I really wanted to write this little speech in the beginning! There is unfortunately no rhetoric in this, but I still hope it's alright! :)

And yeah, the next chapter is going to be the last one for this story! c: I already learned alot during my writing process (especially when it comes to organize the plot...hehehe..) and it really motivates me to continue and to improve bit by bit!

Thank you VERY much for reading this, and I hope to see you next chapter! c: See ya ~


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**

OH MY GOD. HEY EVERYBODY.

It's March already! God time flies and I didn't keep my promise and updated in February. I hope you'll forgive me but a lot of stuff happened and exams suck goddammit Q.Q

BUT HERE IT IS, THE FINAL CHAPTER!  
Seriously I changed this chapter SO many times, I can't even count it. There were so many things in my head I couldn't order properly, but I tried to make it plausible and readable and I hope halfway satisfying for everyone.

This chapter is pretty much written in tiny bits to quicken some events, since this is the last chapter.  
Sooo, I just let you read the last chapter of this story before I say some more stuff in the end! (I hope I didn't miss any crucial mistakes...I'm really tired ahahhaa)

Hope you enjoy :3 ~

* * *

The first thing she hears are the wagons rattling over the stony ground. When she opened her eyes, the sky was filled with thick, gray clouds. Robin feels weak, but nevertheless tries to move slowly, and that's when she realizes that she is wrapped in a thick blanket, lying in one of the wagons. "Mhh..." she presses her eyes shut for an instance, and that's when she heard Gaius' voice.

"Bubbles? Bubbles are you awake?!" wonderment and excitement are in his voice. "Hey, guys! Guys! Bubbles finally woke up!"

Cordelia is the first one to arrive at Robin's side. "Robin!" her voice is flooded with relief. "How are you feeling? Can you speak?"

Robin takes a deep breath before she replies. "Y-Yeah...I think I'm fine...but where am I?" Cordelia helps Robin to sit up a little.

"We're on our way back to Ylisstol. We passed Regna Ferox hours ago." Robin blinks, and needs a few seconds to realize what Cordelia just said. She freezes.

"F-Ferox?" she asks in shock. "How long have I been unconscious?" The pegasus knight's smile fades slowly.

"Well...a while. You were awake sometimes, but drifted off to sleep in a couple of minutes again. Libra said it was because you were so worn out. We were really worried." Her hand finds the brunette's shoulder. Robin tries to remember if she actually WAS awake, but the last thing she remembers clearly is that Chrom wanted to tell her something right after they defeated Gangrel.

"O-Okay..." she says, her mind still dizzy and her legs feeling wobbly.

"We will take a break soon. Libra and Lissa will then take a look at your wounds and at your condition again." Cordelia says with a smile on her face. "So lie down again and don't overdo yourself." Robin nods, and lies down on her back again.

_'I have been unconscious for WAY too long...'_

* * *

Robin smiles when Libra and Lissa come to her to check on her during the break. She smiles even wider when Lissa hugs her tightly. "I'm SO glad you opened your eyes! We were worried, you know?" she says when the princess looks into the brunette's eyes. "I almost thought that you'll never wake up again..." The tactician still smiles, but frowns a little. She hates to worry the people she loves.

"I'm sorry, Lissa. I try to not do this again." her eyes wander to Libra, who also smiles warmly.

"I think Lord Chrom will be very excited to hear the news about your awakening.." the priest chuckled, and Robin feels her cheeks redden immediately. Lissa jumps up in excitement.

"Yeah! He wanted to be informed immediately if something's the matter with you." The princess bites on her lower lip and pushes the tactician with her elbow slightly, only to make her blush even more.

"Oh come on, stop it!" Robin says and covers her face with her hands. "You're both embarassing me!"

"Why are we embarrassing you? We didn't say anything wrong." Libra says, though with a light playfulness in his voice. The three of them start to laugh, and Robin is glad to have wonderful people around her. Though one question remains on her tongue.

"By the way, where IS Chrom? Sounds like he isn't there." she eyes Lissa who smiles with a little sadness.

"He stayed in Regna Ferox to discuss stuff with both Khans. We owe them very much..." she answered, and Robin nods, though her heart skipped a beat. So it'll be a while until she sees him again...

"Yes. I wish I could help him right now..." she almost whispers, but Lissa pats her head gently.

"Don't think about it. You have to gain your strength again, you hear me? When you're feeling better, you can do whatever you want." the princess' smile makes the tactician smile, too.

"Alright, I will. Thanks, to the both of you." Her thoughts wander over to Chrom, and she feels her cheeks redden a little.

_'There is something I want to tell you._

I want to tell you that I love you.'

* * *

An hour later or so, another person came to check on her.

"Robin," a deep voice says. She had closed her eyes a few minutes ago, covering them with her arm. She still responds, her voice still weak though.

"Yes, Frederick?" She slowly lifts her arm and looks into the knight's face.

"How is your condition? Do you still feel any pain?" he asks with a frown. Robin smiles calmly.

"Libra and Lissa took care of me. My side still hurts, and I still feel weak, but I feel much better than before. Thanks for asking."

"Someone will have to change your bandages again," he says. "I'll go and ask someone from the ladies. Libra, Lissa and Maribelle are very busy with the other soldiers."

"Yes.." Robin mumbles with a concerned look. She saw some soldiers who passed her wounded badly, and she hopes that they'll recover soon and can see their families in Ylisstol. "How long will it take to get to Ylisstol?" she asks with a frown.

"If everything goes according to my planning, we'll arrive tomorrow evening." the knight answers, and Robin smiles a little.

"I noticed how organized everyone worked when they built the tents and everything. You did a great job." the brunette grins, and Frederick nods thankfully.

"Thank you, milady. I'll let you rest now and call for somebody to take care of your bandages." He slowly walks towards the exit, but stops in an instance. "I hope you will get better soon, Robin. I don't want you to miss my wedding tomorrow." The tactician blinks in confusion, and her mouth drops open.

"W-wedding? You mean, you and Sumia-"

"Yes. We decided that we wanted to marry as soon as we return, with our closest friends nearby. It will be a small wedding, but it means much to us..." he pauses before he continues, "the war showed us that our lives could end at any time, any moment..." He almost mumbled the last part, and Robin nods.

"Yeah...I'm really looking forward to your wedding tomorrow." she says, and Frederick makes his leave.

* * *

Robin drifted off into sleep after Frederick left her, and woke up when the sun already set. Next to her is a glass full of water. She has no idea who brought it here, but she's thankful and immediately drinks everything.

Slowly, she sits up. The brunette breathes in and out slowly, and her thoughts wander again to Chrom. Robin remembered that he wanted to tell her something after they killed Gangrel. He said something to her, but...what was it? Every effort of trying to remember even small bits failed.  
The tactician decides to go to take a walk, and hopes that her legs feel stronger and not as wobbly as before. She takes a deep breath and gets up carefully, and slowly takes a few steps. Her mind spins a little from lying around too much, but she quickly catches herself and walks out of the tent after grabbing her beloved coat and putting it on.

It is cloudy, and the air smells like rain, a smell Robin decides to like. It feels refreshing, and she likes the goosebumps that appear on her arms when she looks into the sky only to see the stars blinking through the clouds. Her gaze then wanders over the camp, only to see Gaius, Gregor and Nowi on their night shift, though Nowi leans against Gregor's shoulder, sleeping soundly. Robin giggles quietly at the sight, but before she could walk up to them, she notices a dark figure appearing in the corner of her eye. "Oh? Tharja?"

The dark mage comes closer and crosses her arms. "Hello to you. Finally woke up from your coma?" she asks with a slight boredom in her tone. Robin scratches her cheek a little.

"Yup. How are you? I didn't see you after some time during the battle.." she says, and the dark mage simply shrugs.

"Not a big deal. I was rather worried about you, and Frederick asked me to change your bandages."  
A few weeks ago, Robin would feel pretty uncomfortable with Tharja. But time after time, Robin saw that she actually has a kind heart under all these...curses and hexes.

"Ah, yes, I took a nap after he left...haha, well, it'd be great if you could help me. Was it also you who put that glass next to my bed?" the brunette asks, and Tharja nods, which makes Robin grin. "Thanks for that."

"Yeah yeah, no big deal. I'm going to get some conocotions and bandages, so wait in your tent." And Robin did as she was told, and went back into the tent, already putting down her cloak and her shirt carefully. After about 5 minutes, Tharja returns with the stuff she needs and sits next to Robin. With her long, pale fingers, she starts to undo the old bandages from her side, and Robin twitches at the sight of the old wound. Tharja sighs, "looks painful." Robin laughs a little hysterically.

"Ha, well it doesn't hurt as much as when I got it, so..."  
Both women are silent for an instance while the dark mage does her work. The tactician thinks about Chrom again and...how Tharja actually made her aware of her feelings. "Tharja?"

"Yes?"

"I wanted to thank you." the brunette says. The black-haired beauty raises an eyebrow.

"And for what exactly?" she asks as she puts some salve onto her wound carefully. Robin winces a little before she replies,

"You made me actually see that I like that dor- I mean, Chrom. Not actually in a good way, but hey...it made me realize it. Maybe I would have just accepted the fact that he ignored me, and would have hide myself in my books and tactics, never thinking of anything else. Maybe he really would have chosen a different woman..." But Tharja shakes her head.

"No, he wouldn't. I'm pretty sure about that."

"How so?"

"...my intuition. Nevermind, are you going to tell him?" Robin bites her lower lip and nods.

"Yes, as soon as he returns...I told him that there is something I want to tell him. Something really important." she says, and a wide, and a little creepy smile appeared on Tharja's face.

"You're red like a tomato, dear Robin." she notices, and the tactician puts her hands on her cheeks and gasped.

"Oh gods, only thinking about it makes me nervous..." she sighs a little, and Tharja finishes her work slowly.

"I think you will do well...and if he backs out, I'll curse him for you, I promise."

Robin laughs. "Oh no, you won't!"

* * *

The next morning, they continued their march back to Ylisstol. The Shepherds were talking about the upcoming wedding all the time with excitement, and Robin too was very excited. Though she found it to be sad that Chrom missed the wedding of his most loyal knight.

When they finally arrived at the capital, people cheered and waved when they marched pass them. They won the war. Peace was flooding the lands of Ylisse.  
Peace.  
That was the first time she realized that they have peace.

In the very late evening, the Shepherds all sit in the Barracks, with Sumia and Frederick in the front and Libra – of course – as the priest. They were decorating the Barracks a little; beautiful flowers decorated the tables, everything was tidied up before, and everyone actually wears something neat. Sumia, the bride, wears a beautiful white dress. Not actually a wedding dress, it was shorter, but she still looked stunning. Her hair was beautifully braided, and Robin recognizes Cordelia's style immediately. Frederick wears a casual suit, though he stands there like the proud knight he is.  
_'A knight even at his own wedding...'_ is all Robin thinks of, her lips forming a smile.

The ceremony is small, but sweet, and everyone could see how the couple in front of them only saw each other in this moment, and nobody else. They exchange the rings, and don't let go of each others hands. Their eyes are locked, and the tactician gets almost envious of the romantic scenery in front of her. Then after a while, Libra comes to an end.  
"...you may kiss the bride." he says gently with a smile, and everybody gets up to cheer when Frederick carefully took Sumia's face into is hands to pull her into a sweet kiss.

After a few hours of celebration, Robin decides to go outside for a walk.

She leaves the Barracks, only to see a beautiful night sky and only the wind blowing quietly through trees and the high grass. Robin feels goosebumps coming up because of the cold, and wraps her arms and her jacket around herself tightly. From inside the Barracks, she could hear the others shouting in excitement, probably of the little games some of them prepared for the wedding.

With quiet steps, Robin walks through the grass slowly, breathing in and out deeply. She could hear nothing but the wind, the rustle, her own breathing and her steps. She could even hear her heart beating against her chest, and Robin finally realizes that they have peace. The tactician sits down into the grass slowly, and rushing her palm over the grass.  
She smiles, and the brunette actually can't believe that this night is one night without having the fear of being killed any second. It's the first night she won't be scared off, a night she can sleep without worrying what could happen next. Her first calm night in her new life with her new memories. The first night she knows that they have peace.

That's when she realizes that those days are the first ones she experiences in peace since she had lost her memory. As far as she can remember, she woke up in a war and lived her new life in one. On the one hand, she feels sad, since traveling with the others was so much fun, but on the other hand, she feels excitement. She feels free.

Robin drifts into a daydream, imagining herself going out with the other girls, go shopping or just hover in a library and reading books, books and more books. Now she has the time for it, next to rebuilding Ylisse. She leans back into the grass and closes her eyes, and once again, she breathes in and out slowly. But as she gets relaxed completely, she hears steps, and suddenly, a figure she knows very well looks down to her. "There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know."

Robin's eyes widen when she sees him. "Chrom?" She sits up immediately. "Y-You're back!" her voice sounds relieved in her ears, and she really is. She grins at him, and he lowers himself right next to her into the grass.

"Yeah, I just arrived here. I feel bad for not arriving earlier. Missing the wedding of your most loyal knight feels horrible." he says as he stretches, and Robin watches him. He looks exhausted, probably because of the long travel. She smiles a little.

"As long as you congratulated them, what I hope you already did?" she asks.

He looks at her. "Of course I did, it was the first thing I did when I came here." The bluenette leans back a little, his arms folded behind his head. "Amazing out here, isn't it?" his voice sounds like nothing ever happened between them, like he never avoided her in the first place. The thought of it tastes bitter on her tongue. She swallows hard.

"...Yes." she answers quietly. "It's...very peaceful." The tactician looks onto her lap before looking into the star ocean again.

"Peace.." Chrom murmurs. She turns her head to look at him, his face serious and concentrated. "There is a lot of work to be done in Ylisstol from now on. We have to rebuild everything..." Robin sometimes wondered if Chrom was sick of being a prince, but whenever she looked at him closely, he never was. He loves his land and his people. This man was certainly born to be a leader.

"You can count on my help, of course." the brunette says. "How was it in Ferox?"

"Both Flavia and Basilio will keep in touch with us about future reparations and stuff, since it wasn't actually their war. Though we already talked about the financial stuff." the prince says as he sits up. "And...thanks. For your help, I mean."

"It's okay. Both you and I will discuss things tomorrow or on another day. I'll work something out." she grins a little bit. "An exalt and king needs a tactician, after all." Looking into his face, his expression turns...sad. Robin immediately wonders if she said something wrong.

"I..was thinking about that a lot for a while now. Becoming the new exalt, I mean." He pauses and sighs. "..And I decided to not become the exalt. Emm was a great exalt, kind-hearted and so much wiser than I am. Taking this title would be...wrong. It was her who made the people smile again, who gave them hope when they needed it. I think that I...I am not able to do this, I..." he shoves his palm over his face, and the tactician shakes her head.

"Don't speak. I understand your decision completely. I am sorry that I said that you'd be the new exalt. That was...tactless."

"No, no. Normally, I SHOULD take her place, but I won't. I'll refuse." the prince says. "Nobody knows that I don't want to be the exalt, except you."

"I will support you in your decision, Chrom. You're a good man, you know that?" Robin says and smiles when Chrom looks into her face. "You really are."

Under the moonlight, she could see his cheeks darken. "..Th-thank you." he stutters quietly. "I..I hope I can do something for you. After everything that happened. You...deserved so much good. If there is anything I can do for you, just tell me."

Silence follows. Robin's heart pounds in her ears loudly. "Th-there is a thing." she finally says and breaks the silence with a nervous voice. Chrom blinks.

"Then...tell me and I'll do it." he says with a soft smile. He now looks curious, waiting for what will happen next. Robin swallows hard, and she begins while looking at her lap and kneading the tip of her jacket with her fingers.

"I want to read the whole library in the castle, first of all." Chrom then laughs out loud.

"Really? That's no big deal, you know. You can do whatever you want in the castle." The brunette knows that, of course.  
_  
'Dammit, Robin, now tell him what you REALLY wanted to say!'_

She feels like puking her heart out onto the grass as she continued. "W-Wait, listen. There is something else." If she just wouldn't sound like an utter fool, maybe she would've been able to sound confident. And Chrom watches her, probably excepting another stupid request from her.

"Chrom...I...I want to know why you shunned me back then." She still doesn't remember what he told her after they killed Gangrel. Chrom's mouth flies open, and he responds with a counter question.

"Didn't YOU want me to tell me something else?" he says, and Robin feels anger rising up.

"Stop switching the topic. A few days ago you wouldn't be able to look into my eyes and now we're here, chit-chatting as if nothing happened?...All I want is an answer." her voice sounds unintentionally hurt. "It felt like you didn't want me around or something or...it felt like you disliked me me."

"Gods, Robin, of course I liked you, and still do! Nothing could be further from the truth..it's just...I..." Chrom rips a strand of grass from the ground and then into tiny pieces. "I-It was because.." Robin tilts her head a little.

"...Yes?" she whispers. If Lissa, Tharja and Olivia were right...will he..?  
She could hear him taking very long and deep breaths before he talks again.

"I wanted to tell you right after we defeated Gangrel, but you fainted then...I thought of waiting a little while now, but..." He faces her then with his face flushed, and Robin herself feels her face heating up for several degrees. Then he goes on, "The ignoring thing was...incredibly stupid..I never meant to hurt you with that, Robin. But I was so angry and confused and...I really believed that I could have died in this war. I would have paid the price. So I rather distanced myself from the others and..mostly you." The brunette's lips fly open a little.

"You want to tell me that you REALLY prepared yourself to die?..." she presses her lips back together, and she feels like it's her fault, because she failed before.

"No, don't get me wrong. I didn't prepare myself, but if I had to, I would have sacrificed my life for everyone. To avenge everyone...and to avenge Emm, even though I know that she wouldn't like it. Those happenings were difficult for me to handle, and I saw how you suffered, too...I didn't want to burden you with more things than I already did. And when I realized that I..." he pauses, and Robin slowly sits herself closer to the future-king. "...that I've always loved you, I actually had no idea how to handle this, especially during the war. I kinda snapped out of it. That one day when you were attacked by the Risen, and when ...you know. The words you said to me made me so happy, Robin. That you wanted to stay by my side no matter what. It really gave me hope. But watching you being in pain, it...it destroyed me somehow. That I failed in protecting something so precious to me because I couldn't stand close to you without freaking out and blushing like an idiot. I feel like an idiot right now, too..." he chuckles a little. "And I-"Before he could talk again, Robin places her finger onto his lips.

"..That's enough." She places her hand gently against his cheek, caressing it with her thumb. She slowly collects all the courage she has as their gazes meet, and leans closer to his face. He opened up and told her everything, and all that matters are their feelings right now.

Chrom places his hand onto her back, and both of them close their eyes as their lips touch. His lips are cold and dry, but Robin doesn't care. She runs her hand through his blue hair as he pulls her closer to his body and deepens the kiss. Her heart is pounding in her ears and her mind is spinning when he caresses her back and when his other hand found her hip to hold her properly. He's careful, sweet and gentle which made Robin's legs melt quickly. She never kissed before, and she doesn't know if he ever did with some pretty noble-girls. Even though she's inexperienced,

she wishes to continue forever, but has to break the kiss to breathe.

"I love you too," she breathes out when their gazes meet again. "since forever."  
Chrom's lips form a wide grin, and he gives her a short kiss again.

"You cannot believe how happy you're making me right now, Robin.." he says. And Robin smiles before biting her lower lip.

"I'm just glad that...I'm here with everyone, and with you...I wouldn't know what I would have done without you. I mean, I was a stranger an-" before she could finish her sentence, he kisses her with more dominance than before, making Robin curl her fingers into his shirt.

He slowly pulls away, "I don't care. You are no stranger, and you never were. You became the most important person of my life, and I'll never let you go." With those words, Robin flushes deeply. She wants to response, but they're interrupted by a yell.

"Chrooom?! Robin!? Where are yaaa!?" Vaike yells, and after the couple exchanges glances, they conclude that Vaike must be pretty drunk.

"We're coming!" the bluenette yells back, and Robin sighs a little, hoping that she and Chrom will have some time in privacy later. They stand up and walk to the Barracks, Robin quicker in her step than the king. Vaike disappeared from the door frame, and the tactician could feel Chrom's tall hand wrap around her own. She holds on to it, but gasps as he pulls her back and right into his arms.

"Ch-Chrom?" the brunette asks quietly as her arms wrap around him slowly.

"Robin...

**You're the wind in my back and the sword at my side. Together, my love, we shall build a peaceful world...just you and me."**

* * *

**A/N:**

I am really sorry for the rushed wedding. I just didn't know how to expand it any further, and I overall think that this chapter was very rushed, I am sorry. I still hope that you liked it.  
And yeah, I decided that Chrom wouldn't propose with the ring, since I actually like that their wedding isn't rushed in the game, too. :3

**NEVERTHELESS.**

**I want to thank everybody who read this story, faved, followed or reviewed it! I appreciate it so much you can't believe it isudhfhdfzugz!**

Learned a lot during this process, and I'll try to not make the same mistakes in my next fanfic.  
I hope after Uni stuff calmed down a little, I'll have more time to write.  
I'm still doing this HenryxOlivia fic, and I am currently working on an idea for a Kingdom Hearts; Birth by Sleep fanfiction, but the last one will sure take some time since I'm thinking everything through, like, 50 times after rushing events/moments in this fanfic here very much.

And here's the part where I say goodbye.  
Again, thank you so much!  
I love you, and I hope you're going to have a great week!~


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